Combined sound and color picture film



March 18, 1,941., A MILLER 2,235,033

COMBINED SOUND AND COLOR PICTURE FILM vFiled Nov. 5, 1957 E; m msi/velfia/l'de emulsion Myers supper/i coflfmh/hg 03195121,? componenhsilver halide emu/s/bn layer wi/ho ul ca/or farmer's A Zf'recei MzdderInn/BMW latented Mar. 18, 1941 PATENT OFFICE COMBINED SOUND AND COLORPICTURE FILM Alfred Miller, Dessau, Germany, assignor, by mesneassignments, to General Aniline a Film Corporation, New York, N. Y., acorporation of Delaware Application November 5, 1937, Serial No. 172,866

Germany November 9, 1936 1 Claim.

My present invention relates to sound and color picture films, and themethod of their production.

Combined sound and color picture films are already known in which thepicture records are present as dyestufi images and the sound record as asilver image. In the production of such films it is necessary to protectthe sound track from the action of the treatment baths during theconversion of the picture record into colored images. This frequentlyincreases the number of operations and complicates the treatment of them. It is an object of my invention to simplify the production ofcombined sound and picture films.

A further object is the provision of a new and improved photographicmaterial,

Further objects will be apparent from the detailed specificationfollowing hereafter.

In the drawing the single figure represents diagrammatically a crosssection of a cinematographic film in an enlarged scale. The drawing isotherwise self-explanatory and shows the arand on the other side of thesupport a silver halide emulsion layer containing no dyestufi component.The layer or layers containing dyestuiI components serve 'for theproduction of the colored pictures whilst the sound record is producedin the silver halide emulsion layer containing no dyestufi component.For producing the picture and sound records the film may be exposed fromone side or from both sides and the exposures for producing the picturerecord and the sound record may occur simultaneously or in succession.

As dyestufi components for the light-sensitive layers serving tor theproduction of the picture record there are particularly suitable thedyestufi components fast to difiusion described in U. S. Patentapplications Ser. No. 72,718 filed April 4, 1936, now Patent No.2,179,238, of November 7, 1939, Ser. No. 90,726 filed July 15, 1936, nowPatent No. 2,178,612, of November 7, 1939, Ser. No. 94,340 filed August5, 1936, now Patent No. 2,186,849, of January 9, 1940, Ser. No. 158,860filed August 13, 1937, now Patent No. 2,179,244, of November 7, 1939,Ser. No. 159,518 filed August 17, 1937, now Patent No. 2,186,732, ofJanuary 9, 1940, Ser. No. 164,499 filed September 18, 1937, now PatentNo. 2,186,733, of January 9, 1940. These layers may furthermore besensitized for different spectral regions by means of sensitizingdyestufis. They may also contain any of the additional substances usedin the preparation of photographic emulsions, for example stabilisers.The single layer on the other side of the support serving for theproduction of the sound record may be an ordinary silver halide emulsionlayer such as is customarily used in sound films. The photographicmaterial used in accordance with the invention may also contain filterlayers or an antihalation layer. It required filter dyestufis may beincorporated in one or more of the emulsion layers.

The treatment of the photographic material after exposure is relativelysimple since the lightsensitive layers serving for the picture recordcontain dyestuii components which can be converted into dyestufi imagesby color development. The pictures may be produced either by a singledevelopment or by reversal development, which may be conducted forexample according to the processes of the U. S. Patent applications Ser.No. 100,319 filed September 11, 1936, now Patent No. 2,179,234, ofNovember 7, 1939, and Ser. No. 148,731 filed June 17, 1937. It is merelynecessary it the pictures and sound are recorded simultaneously, to takecare that the baths serving for removal of the silver from the picturelayers do not act on the developed sound track; for this purpose forexample the baths may be allowed to act only on one side of the film,for example by treating the film by the so-called floating process or bythe use of a resist.

If the sound track is only subsequently exposed no particularprecautions are necessary during the development of the picture layerssince the development and treatment baths for the picture layers donotact on the layer which is to receive the sound record. The separatedevelopment of the picture and sound records offers the advantage thatthe sound record can be de veloped with a special developer.

If the film is to be subjected to reversal development the exposure ofthe sound track may precede the second development so that the picturelayers and the sound track are developed together during the seconddevelopment.

The pictures and sound may be recorded on the photographic material inaccordance with the invention either by direct exposure or by printing.

What I claim is:

A method of processing combined sound and picture films which comprisesexposing to light a cinematographic picture film having on one side aplurality of diflerently light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layerseach containing a dyestufi component fast to difiusion and capable ofbeing developed by the same color iorming developer to give dyestuffs ofdifl'erent colors, said film having on the opposite side a silver halideemulsion free from dyestuff components and designm to receive only asound track. developing the film to black and white, re=exposing theemulsion layers containing the dyestuff components, recording a soundtrack in said last named emulsion layer and simultaneously developingall of the layers in the same solutions by a developer, the oxidationproduct of which reacts with said dyestufir components to form said dyestuffs.

ALFRED

